Jamshedpur: Chief Minister Raghubar Das today faced protest by a mob at Kharsawan in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district when he went there to pay homage to martyrs of the 1948 Kharsawan firing incident in the morning.
Amidst tight security near the Shaheed Sthal in Kharsawan, the CM had to face protest by the mob comprising agitated tribal people till he reached the venue where he paid tributes by placing a garland and instantly returned to the helipad for returning to Jamshedpur from where he had started about 10.30 am.
Over 5000 tribals including women were present at Kharsawan for paying tributes to those who had fallen victims to a police firing on January 1, 1948. The tribals belonging to different tribal communities including Bhumij, Mundas, Oraons and Lohars had made a beeline from different parts of district since morning. But as the CM arrived there, the mob started raising anti-government slogans.
Apparently upset over the protests, the CM termed the protests as �stage sponsored� and condemned them as bad and mean politics. �Tribal have been raising voice and sacrificing their lives since British rule for the sake of their land and culture but I want to assure that this government would not let their sacrifice go in vain and all elected representatives from panchayat level to MLAs and MPs along with bureaucrats would be visiting villages to know about local problems and initiate planning for village development in the next budget.
Accountability would be fixed on those carrying out development projects with third party audit on all development projects,� he said.
The mob protested against the recent amendments in CNT and SPT Act by the BJP-led state government and asked him to roll back the amendments.
A section of protesters also waved black flags on the arrival of Das and some others hurled shoes aiming at the CM. As the situation became tense the police and administrative officers on security duty escorted the CM to the helicopter safely.
Demka Soy, Coordinator, CNT and SPT Act Bachao Samanvay Samity, a tribal outfit which is spearheading the protest said they are against the amendments in CNT and SPT Act.
Seraikela-Kharsawan superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar confirmed that the CM had to face strong protest during his visit to the Shahid Sthal.
Incidentally, on January 1, 1948, hundreds of tribals had gathered to hold a meeting for a separate tribal homeland from Odisha. As the meeting was called in defiance of prohibitory orders, the administration resorted to firing, killing innumerable tribal men.
